Vehicles that are left running while unoccupied or not in use can pose a variety of risks. For example, vehicles left idling at fueling stations can lead to explosions. Likewise, vehicles left idling in closed spaces such as parking structures, garages, or parking lots, pose both pollution and health risks due to accumulation of exhaust gas. With increasing concerns about pollution associated with combustion engines, it is increasingly important to curtail unnecessary idling of vehicles.
In consideration of these concerns, more than 25 states have passed legislation that prohibits idling trucks for longer than a specific period of time. In some counties it is illegal to allow a vehicle to run when stationary for various other reasons.
Traditional video surveillance systems are not well equipped to detect vehicle vibrations because the amplitude of vibration of an idling vehicle is too small to be detected. Typical surveillance cameras have sensor resolutions in the range of a few Megapixels and a field of view on the order to several square meters. Vehicle vibration amplitudes resulting from a running engine therefore translate to sub-pixel motion events. Therefore a need exists for an improved method and system for automatic detection of running engines in stationary motor vehicles.